Community Events of Westport

 

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                                    Golf Courses – Practice Facilities – Golf Trivia – Golf “Links”

 

The Coastal Villages of Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island offer challenging golf from March through December (earlier and later for hardier golfers), with numerous diverse layouts (Donald Ross to unknowns!).

 

                                                                 |  Return to EverythingWestport.com Home Page  |              Updated: Sunday, October 16, 2022

 

 

 

Sunday, October 16, 2022Sunday, October 16 – 63-year-old PGA star Freddie Couples, now on the senior tour, shoots a final round 60 to win the 2022 SAS Championship.

Couples, who hasn’t won the past five years on the Senior Tour, made 11 consecutive birdies on the last 11 holes to beat Steven Alker by 6 shots.  

 

An incredible feat by anyone’s standards.

The Hall of Famer Couples not only bested his age by three shots, but it was the lowest round in SAS history and the lowest of Couples’ career on the Champions Tour. He finished at 20-under par to beat Steven Alker, the Charles Schwab Cup standings leader, by six shots and 2019 SAS Championship winner Jerry Kelly by seven.

 

Sunday, April 14, 2019 – Woods win the Masters after an 11 year major tournament drought.

In one of the greatest comebacks in golfing history, Tiger Woods won the 82nd playing of the Masters, his fifth Masters title.

 

“It’s going to take a little time to settle in!” – Tiger Woods on winning The Masters.

 

Spectator roars followed Woods around the legendary golf course Bobby Jones built as the 43-year-old climbed the leader board, finally taking the lead on the 16th hole

Woods now needs only three major tournaments to tie the majors record held by golfing great Jack Nicklaus.

Francesco Molinari played brilliantly all week, making only one bogey throughout the first 60 holes until the 7th hole in the final round, coupled with a double bogey on the 16th where his approach shot hit a branch, ending up in the water.

With his fifth Masters victory on Sunday, Tiger Woods tied the longest gap between major wins. Woods’ fourth win at Augusta National was in 2005.

Woods had never won a major coming from behind. And now the 2019 Masters champion has won his first major chewing gum from beginning to end.

Curbs my appetite, Woods said.

 

Thursday, February 21, 2019 – The six inch putt! Click on the link below for the best putt ever seen on the planet! Thanks to a reader for sending this in.

Click here to view video!

 

Above: This dramatic photo shows Mickelson playing his approach shot to the 14th green on Sunday. Notice the Goodyear blimp just below the sun.

Monday, February 11, 2019 – Lefty wins his fifth ATT Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

48-year-old Phil Mickelson won the 2019 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am with a three-shot win over Paul Casey, notching his fifth victory at the classic Pro-Am.

Mickelson is the tournament’s oldest winner.

Mickelson and Casey came back on Monday morning to finish the last two holes because of approaching nightfall and Casey’s wish to not play the remaining hole in the dark.

He now has 44 PGA titles and has won five majors, only missing out on a US Open for his Grand Slam.

This year in June the US Open will be held at Pebble Beach. When asked about his chances to complete his grand slam, Mickelson said he “plays well here, but the Open championship course layout will be much different than the course we played today.”

Tighter fairways, heavier rough, and slick greens may be a deterrent, but the golfer they call Lefty is not counting out a US Open victory at Pebble Beach.

 

Thursday, October 11, 2018 - Golfers won't be hitting the links at the Firefly Golf Course in Seekonk next season (2019) and maybe next season as well.

The golf course off Fall River Avenue has been closed temporarily to make room for big changes coming to the property.

"Right now we're beginning construction on utility installation for the future project," Eric Brainsky, attorney for the property owner, said. "There is going to be a lot of equipment in and out of here front loaders and excavators things of that nature. Safety is paramount."

Brainsky said the property owner decided to close for this season for safety reasons because a lot of construction will be happening on the site.

"The project has been previously approved at town meeting, as far as the overall concept, which is called a CCRC, its a continuing care residency campus, which will be assisted living and independent care facilities," Brainsky said.

Brainsky said the exact amount of rooms has not yet been determined, but he estimates there will be 300 beds for assisted living and roughly 160 for the independent care.

Read more >>

 

Sunday, September 23, 2018 – Tiger Woods completes comeback by winning Tour Championship.

Tiger Woods took command of golf’s 2018 Tour Championship to win his first event in 5 years.

It was exactly 1,876 days since his last PGA tour win.

Followed by a crowd of thousands Woods parred the 18th hole on the final day to cap one of the greatest comebacks in professional sports.

“I found my swing,” Woods said, “and put a few things together.”

Justin Rose by one stroke edged out Woods for the $10 million FedEx Cup prize.

Woods victory almost brought the iconic golfer to tears, showing a humbler side to the usual stoic persona he brings to the golf course

Bogeying three of the last 9 holes Woods almost allowed the tournament to slip from his grasp; he parred the last three holes, just barely escaping the water on the 15th 226 yard par 3 water hole, to beat out 2nd place finisher Billy Horschel by two strokes.

Paired with Woods in the final group, Rory McIlroy fell back to 5 under for the tournament, unable to keep pace with Woods withering tees hots and spot-on putting.

 

Sunday, March 11, 2018 Updated 8:00 p.m. Tiger Woods falls one stroke short of comeback bid.

PALM HARBOR - Tiger Woods shot four under-par rounds at the Valspar Championship at Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club but fell one shot short of forcing a playoff with front runner England’s Paul Casey who closed with a 6-under 65 and won the Valspar Championship.

Woods blew a golden opportunity when he missed a birdie putt at the par 5 14th hole.

With chants of USA! USA!, Woods’ famous fist clenches accented the 20-something footers that repeatedly hit the bottom of the cup, firing up the huge crowd that followed the big cat as he prowled the Copperhead Course looking for his first win since the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Woods said earlier this week that he thought Mickelson's WGC-Mexico Championship victory last week was "great." On Thursday, Mickelson said he could see Woods winning in his first ever appearance at the Valspar Championship.

Woods’ driver was erratic but second shot recoveries, approach shots and spot-on putting were pure vintage Woods.

But he fell one stroke short, disappointing hundreds of thousands of diehard fans who were rooting for the 42-year-old from Jupiter, Florida.

But all that being said, yah, I’m thinking Tiger is back.

 

April 6, 2017 - Speaking of golf, Oceans 18 - Black lite mini golf located on 500 King’s Highway, New Bedford will shut its doors May 15th, 2017 after 12 years of operation, according to their website.

Their golf simulator was a popular attraction for winter golfers for over a decade.

Another fatality of a weakening golf market that has dramatically affected local outdoor golf courses. http://www.oceans-18.com  

 

Thursday, April 6 UPDATED 6:45 p.m. Hoffman holes 7 birdies to lead opening day at the Masters. The wind was howling at August National but Charlie Hoffman was one happy man as he holed 7 birdies to take a first-round 4-stroke lead over the field.

Left: Charlie Hoffman leads the Masters on opening day.

Dustin Johnson has withdrawn from the Masters. After winning his last three starts, the No. 1 player in the world, heavily favored to win at Augusta, slowly went to the first tee paired with two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson and PGA Championship winner Jimmy Walker in the final group of the opening round. He left the tee box never taking a shot in the first major of the year and walked back to the clubhouse.

The 2017 Masters Tournament kicks off today from Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. The season's first major has produced four different winners over the past four years and hasn't yielded a back-to-back champion since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002.

That's a troublesome trend for reigning champion Danny Willett (pictured left), who edged Jordan Spieth and Lee Westwood by three strokes to win the 2016 Masters.

This year’s favorite, Dustin Johnson, the world’s No. 1 golfer who is seeking his first green jacket, injured his lower back in a fall on Wednesday at his rental home in Augusta, putting his playing status into question.

The King, Arnold Palmer will miss this morning’s ceremonial tee off that includes Jack Nicholas and Gary Player as he passed away at the age of 87 on September 25, 2016

Look this year for some surprising finishes at the tournament Bobby Jones built.

 

January 26, 2017 Double bogey golf news! Yes, it’s a little early to bring up golf, but the other shoe has finally dropped.

The 9-hole Hawthorne Country Club closed last year, bringing an end to a financially-troubled Dartmouth venue that served up better banquet food than birdies and bogey.

Now Allendale Country Club just down the street from Hawthorne is looking for assistance in handling its highly leveraged debt service that accumulated due to out-of-control management salaries and extensive course improvements over the years that failed to produce the increased membership necessary to pay for them.

https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=OIP.BtQygjdXSw2Iwm7ZiYGxVwEsEY&w=300&h=280&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0&r=0Inset: The 5th, 6th and 7th holes at Allendale Country Club.

Dartmouth Select Board member Shawn D. McDonald wants to buy the property and said recently, “The town could acquire and lease the golf course for up to 15 years, and use it in the future for town educational, recreational and park facilities, and potential home development. It’s the

largest undeveloped property (over 150 acres with a well that produces 275 gallons per minute) in the heart of Dartmouth.

Assessed value of the property is $5.8 million and Dartmouth is looking to buy it for $3.2 million.

The Allendale Board of Directors is also moving in tandem with an effort to remove recreational land preservation restrictions on part of its property, and then sell the proposed lots to help reduce its debt load.

In a letter to members, Allendale Board President Mike Goulart said,What all this means is that we are now going down parallel paths - we will be continuing our plan to remove land from MGL c 61B, and at the same time we will be working with the Town to see what its ownership of Allendale might look like in the future.”

 

“For at least the duration of the 2017 golf season and probably much longer, it is and will be business as usual for Allendale.” - Mike Goulart

 

The question now is whether the town officials and residents would want to authorize a purchase right now for a long term benefit.

They better make a decision soon; Allendale’s variable-rate commercial loans may get considerably more costly if interest rate hikes promised recently by Fed chair Janet Yellen go into effect.

 

October 3, 2016 Birdies and eagles and hole-outs, oh my! In a record-setting, final day epic match between the United States’ Phil Michelson and Europe’s Sergio Garcia (19 birdies between them!) the pair fought to a draw.

“I would have liked the W,” Michelson said, “but this is an experience and memory forever. It was the right way for the match to end.”

Nonetheless, the Americans ran away with the win in the 41st playing of the vaunted Ryder Cup.

Insert: U.S. player Ryan Moore is surrounded by teammates after his Ryder Cup clincher win.

And in a  denouement to the mastery of U.S. Captain Davis Love III, his last-minute captain’s pick, Ryan Moore, put the Americans over the top with a Ryder Cup clincher singles-match win on the 18th hole over Europe’s Lee Westwood.

In the minds of many Americans was what happened just four years ago at Medinah. With Love at the helm, the Americans squandered a 10-6 lead on the final day, only adding to the Americans’ woes in this event since 1999.

Add it all up, and it was the Americans’ largest margin of victory since 1981.

“The American Ryder Cup team deserved to win this Ryder Cup,” Europe’s Captain Darren Clarke said.

A record-setting crowd of over 50,000 spectators watched the battle at Hazeltine.

Read more from the Golf Channel.

 

August 8, 1016 - Hawthorn Country Club, closed since last January, will soon have a new life if plans for its purchase go through this month.

Known for its banquet facilities more than its nine-hole golf course, Hawthorn is scheduled to change hands this month according to Derek Masky, owner of the Lakeville Country Club.

Masky and his wife, Madelyn, are purchasing the property from Dartmouth businessman Kevin Santos, and said he could close on the Dartmouth golf course by the middle of August for an undisclosed purchase price.

The sale includes the banquet facilities, golf course, restaurant and all the kitchen equipment at the Hawthorne Country Club, Masky said

If all goes as planned the financially troubled nine-hole Dartmouth golf course known for its “mountain goat” layout and rock hard greens will avoid the fate of hundreds of golf course across the country - plowed under for home development.

It’s no secret that Hawthorn has struggled through its 50 year history, better known for its banquet facilities than golf, and being forced in the past to sell off nine holes of the original 18-hole layout.

With permission from the current owner, Masky has been working on the tees and greens which he described as "Burnt up because the water has been shut off all summer."

He said the grass is being mowed and he has crews working on the greens and the tee boxes.

Plans are to have the course open by late October or early November and most likely would remain open all year long.

Banquet facilities will open later, Masky said, with 2017 function reservations for by the first week of September, 2016.

Maksy said he hopes to open the restaurant by October.

 

February 14, 2016 6-alarm fire destroys two major outbuildings at the Lakeville Country Club on Friday, February 12th.

Golf cart storage building and equipment maintenance and storage shop completely destroyed. Lack of hydrants hindered firefighters in initially containing the blaze.

The scene from Friday's fire at the Lakeville Country Club.

Photo | courtesy Lakeville Country Club

Capital equipment including golf carts ruined; no injuries reported by club owner Derek Maksy.

Maksy said the golf cart building housed 74 battery-powered golf carts, while the maintenance shed had seven or eight mowers, weed whackers, other power tools, fuel and more.

The loss of the golf carts is particularly devastating as a new membership program involves their use for every round played at the 18-hole golf course.

Fire departments from Lakeville, Middleboro, Raynham, Berkley, Rochester and Acushnet responded to the fire.

The fire is now thought to be caused by an electrical malfunction.

The 35-year plus golf course started out as a nine-hole layout known as Reservoir Heights Golf Course before expanding to 18 holes and changing its name to the Lakeville Country Club.

The course’s management stated the course is still open for play, walking only, and the function hall is open. The club's pro shop manager, Lou Mincone said they expect golf cart availability in a month or so when the new pavilion building (previously a tent) is erected that will provide temporary shelter for the carts.

Members can call 508.947.6630 for more information on availability and cost for play.  

More...

 

January 30, 2016 – Hawthorn Country club closed, again! The financially troubled nine-hole Dartmouth golf course known for its “mountain goat” layout and rock hard greens may finally meet the fate of hundreds of golf course across the country; plowed under for home development.

It’s no secret that Hawthorn has struggled through its 50 year history, better known for its banquet facilities than golf, and being forced in the past to sell off nine holes of the 18-hole layout to survive.

More courses, fewer golfers.

Golf course development has steadily increased over the last few decades. However, the number of active golfers has remained stubbornly the same. And a troubled economy has reduced membership and play at all courses in the area.

Sold several times in its history, Hawthorne was last purchased by Kevin Santos for $2.5 million at a bank auction in December 2011, caused by the death of the former owner and the lack of funds to continue operation.

Allendale Country Club is now the one remaining course left in the Fall River/New Bedford area that is open to the public.

 

September 3, 2015 – Golfing enthusiasts from Eastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod and the Islands now have a new, local golf magazine just for them. Golf Forum Magazine Free has produced its first edition in June of this year.

Their first magazine was published in the spring of 1995 for Brevard County, FL. From 1995-2008 the magazine established itself as a localized and highly respected monthly publication. In 2008, their local publication was converted to a franchise model and their franchisee group enabled the publication to be considered an industry leader.  The cornerstone of our publishing model is to bring to the public a well-designed, thoughtful publication that provides newsworthy and entertaining information pertinent to the golf industry and to do so within the format of a free monthly magazine. Each issue of Free Golf Forum Magazine is designed and formatted to be informative and enjoyable reading geared toward the golf enthusiast. Visit their website.

 

August 16, 2015 – Australian golfer Jason Day wins the 2015 PGA Championship, professional golf’s fourth and final Major of the year, with a record-setting performance of 20 under par, a feat never before done in the playing of this tournament or any of the three other majors.

With his second place finish and Rory McIlroy finishing 17th, Jordan Spieth became the world’s number one ranked golfer.

In an emotional statement in front of family, friends and onlookers, Day said, "It's a fantastic record to hold. There's been such amazing golfers, especially throughout the history of golf, our sport, and to have that record just goes to show the work I've put in is paying off."

Click here for the full story. 

 

July 20, 2015 3:00 p.m.  Champion Golfer of the Year. America’s Zach Johnson defeated Australians Marc Leishman and Louis Oosthuizen in a four-hole aggregate playoff when Oosthuizen missed his par putt on the playoff’s fourth hole. Leishman bogeyed the first two holes while Johnson birdied them.

“I'm grateful. I'm humbled. I'm honored," a teary Johnson said. "This is the birthplace of the game, and that jug means so much in sports. I felt great. I'm just in awe right now."

Johnson’s birdie on the 18th hole of regulation play that tied him for the lead and propelled him into a three-way playoff was a magical moment for the Iowa City native who dropped to his knee in shock and celebration as if he had just won The Open.

“Dreams have been realized.” Zack Johnson, winner of the 144th playing of the British Open.

 

Blustery and rainy weather challenged competitors on the final day, typical of the erratic weather at St. Andrews in Fife, Scotland.

Jordan Spieth’s dream of winning the first three majors was dashed when he missed his birdie putt on the last hole of regulation play that would have allowed him to join the playoff with Johnson, Leishman and Oosthuizen.

There was magic at this major as improbably, impossible, and even incomparably putts were made time and time again.

But it was Johnson’s wedge game that won him The Open, consistently putting him position for birdie.

American amateur Jordan Niebrugge, a senior-to-be at Oklahoma State, won the Silver Medal as Low Amateur.

Because of the playoff The Open starter, Ivor Robson (pictured below with Johnson) had to announce three more golfers “On the tee...” before he could officially retire. 

 

July 20, 2015 4:00 a.m. – The Open’s final round starts this morning at 4:00 a.m. after Saturday play was delayed due to high winds. The 144th playing of The Open will be memorable for many moments; the announced retirement of The Open’s iconic starter Ivor Robson who has announced “on the tee...” for every competitor since 1975, never leaving his post; the final playing of The Open by three Champion Golfers of the Year (Nick Price, Bernhard Langer, and Tom Watson); and three amateurs at the top of the leader board (amateur Irishman Paul Dunne is tied for the lead after three rounds;) and the possible first amateur to win The Open since Bobby Jones in 1926.

But the most unforgettable moment could be Jordan Spieth winning the first three majors of the year since Ben Hogan did it in 1953. Just one stroke back of the leaders in the final round can the 21-year-old pull off what few players before him were able to do.

Check out all the local golf news in our Golf Section.

 

July 16, 2015 Good weather conditions for early groups produce low scores at 144th playing of The Open. Dustin Johnson struck quickly in the early opening rounds of the British Open, shooting a 7 under round that put the long-hitting 2015 U.S. runner-up in the lead in his pursuit of Champion Golfer of the Year.

Phil Mickelson, playing in less desirable afternoon conditions, shot a respectable 2 under and is in contention. The affable Mickelson won both the Scottish Open and British Open in 2013.

Tiger Woods shot a 76, 4 over par, and will need a good round tomorrow to make the cut.

The British Open is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf.

Phil Mickelson sinks this short birdie putt on the 18th hole to go 2 under in his opening round.

 

June 21, 2015Dustin Johnson’s three-putt wins the 2015 U.S Open Golf Championship for Jorden Spieth.

Heroic play by South African Louis Oosthuizen who birdied 6 of his last seven holes, shooting a 29 on the back nine, ended up the in a tie for second with Dustin Johnson who three-putted the 18th hole from just eight feet to lose the championship to Spieth.

A birdie by Johnson would have forced an 18-hole playoff with Spieth on Monday.

With Spieth’s win Sunday, the 21-year-old becomes the youngest player to win 2 career majors since Gene Sarazen in 1922; the youngest U.S Open Champion since Bobby Jones in 1923, and the 6th player to win the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year with Tiger Woods being the last in 2002.

Above. South African Jason Day (E) comforts second place finisher Dustin Johnson (-4) as Johnson (right) exits the 18th green after his soon-to-be-infamous three-putt loss to Jordan Spieth (-5). Day suffered his own setback, playing through the vertigo symptoms that caused him to collapse on the course on Friday.

 

06/18/2015 Better watch out for the fescue!  “Windage and elevation, Mr. Woods; windage and elevation.”

Not quite what John Wayne said in 1969 Duke movie, ‘The Undefeated,” but it certainly holds true for the world’s best golfers as they take on the links-style Chambers Bay Golf Course on the shores of Puget Sound in University, Washington for the 115th playing of the U.S. Open Golf Championship.

Extreme elevations, wind, monstrous moonscape bunkers, ubiquitous wiry and tough fescue rough, and fast, undulating greens with a broccoli complexion are only a few of the challenges that the boys of the “we swing harder” genre will face.

Then, add to this witches’ brew narrow fairways as dry as grandpa’s breath after a night of heavy drinking and you’ll get an idea of what a golf course built out of a sand and gravel pit is like, just as raw a course as you’ll ever find.

Tiger Woods tees off on the 14th hole, the highest elevation point on Chambers Bay Golf Course. Photo courtesy of Fox Sports.

 

But hey, there’s not a tree or water hazard in sight!

Some might even find Chambers Bay stunning. Some, but not Tiger Woods. After a triple bogey on the 14th hole in the first round, the only competitor out of 156 Tiger Woods was beating was an obscure golf club pro out of Windham, NH.

 

Today, back in 2000, Tiger Woods won golf's US Open by 15 shots, a record for all majors, with a US Open to-par record score of -12.

 

Spaniard Serio Garcia may have gotten it right when he tweeted out to 345,000 followers that “the greens at Chambers Bay are a bit patchy, a bit bumpy.”

After finishing off an even-par 70 in the opening round Garcia took to Twitter again to call the greens "as bad as they look on TV."

"I think a championship the caliber of US Open golf deserves better quality green surfaces than we have this week but maybe I'm wrong!"

But barren can be beautiful as the test of golf is not in the esthetics but in the competitive challenge of beating the field.

After all, golf is a mind game, according to the great amateur golfer, Bobby Jones who said, “Competitive golf is played mainly on a five-and-a-half-inch course...the space between your ears.”

 

Tuesday, May 26, 2015 – Holes–in-one will now come easy at Missouri’s Top of the Rock golf course!

A massive foursome of sinkholes combined to swallow up a good-sized chunk of the Jack Nicklaus–designed Top of the Rock golf course last Friday in Branson, Mo.

The largest hole, which is 80 feet wide and 35 feet deep in some places, was created by two separate sinkholes that formed near the entrance to Top of the Rock golf course, Martin MacDonald, conservation director for Bass Pro Shops, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

Golfers in Branson, Missouri, will now have some extra hazards to cope with on their next round after four sinkholes swallowed part of the Par 3 hilltop venue.

 

Photos/Nate Papes/Springfield News-Leader via AP

The largest of the sinkholes abuts a pond on the course.

According to KOLR10 News, a second hole measures 18 feet deep, while the other two are (comparatively) smaller, about four feet deep.

According to AP, “The Jack Nicklaus-designed par-3 course is part of the Bass Pro Shops-owned Big Cedar Lodge complex which hosted a Champions Tour event last month.

This most-challenging new hazard, the largest sinkhole, isn’t near the main course and won’t affect play (unless you duck-hook your tee shot of the first hole!),” MacDonald said.

Geologists say such sinkholes are fairly common in the Ozarks because of its karst topography, a feature in which water is constantly circulating through bedrock below the ground.

No one was injured except the course designer’s pride.

Click here for the interesting video.

 

Saturday, April 18, 2015 – It’s National Golf Day! WE ARE GOLF hosted the eighth annual National Golf Day on Capitol Hill Wednesday, April 15th.

A coalition of the game's leading associations and industry partners visited Capitol Hill for the eighth annual National Golf Day to discuss golf's nearly $70 billion economy, $4 billion annual charitable impact, and environmental value to local communities and fitness benefits.

Golf's leaders met with Members of Congress throughout the day to share stories about the game's 15,350 diverse, small businesses, which employ more than two million Americans and provide $55.6 billion in annual wage income. In addition, industry executives discussed golf courses' positive influences on ecology, local tax revenues and tourism. They even explained how walking 18 holes can burn 2,000 calories.

This year's event also featured participation from The Presidents Cup 2015 Captains Nick Price (International) and Jay Haas (U.S.). South Korea will play host to The Presidents Cup later this year in October, the first time the tournament will be played in Asia.

 

 

Thursday, April 9, 2015 – The playing of the 2015 Masters golf tournament begins today with Charlie Hoffman teeing off 7:45 a.m. Will http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/golf/masters/tigervj08.jpglast year’s winner Bubba Watson give a repeat performance? Will Tiger Woods make a comeback from a miserable 2014 season (tees off at 1:48 p.m.?) Or will Rory McIlroy complete his career Grand Slam this week at Augusta.

Lead-off golfer Charley Hoffman is the late morning leader, posting a 5 under 67 at 10:52 a.m.

Established in 1934 the Masters is the first of the four majors to be played each year.

The first "Augusta National Invitational" Tournament, as the Masters was originally known, began on March 22, 1934, and was won by Horton Smith. The present name was adopted in 1939. The first tournament was played with current holes 10 through 18 played as the first nine, and 1 through 9 as the second nine, and then reversed permanently to its present layout for the 1935 tournament.

The total prize money for the 2014 tournament was $9,000,000, with $1,620,000 going to the winner Bubba Watson In the inaugural year, the winner Horton Smith received $1,500 out of a $5,000 purse.

Or will Phil Mickelson, three-time Masters champion, make it a 4-peat.

Program note: Two-time Master’s Champion and longtime PGA winner Ben Crenshaw will play his last Masters Tournament this week.  Gentle Ben will finally put away his clubs at age 63, after playing the tournament one last time with long-time caddie Carl Jackson by his side.

Crenshaw is going out in style as the golf course is flawless and conditions today absolutely perfect.

Click here to watch the Masters streaming live at CBS.

 

Tuesday, November 4, 2014 - Battle of the Jeffs. Alabamian Jeff Flagg captures the 2014 RE/MAX long drive title with a whopper of a hit into the wind at 365 yards 20 inches.

The win netted Flagg a cool quarter million dollars in the winner-take-all competition.

Speaking of cool, it was a clear but chilly night; the low 50s in the no-humidity desert feels like the low 40s.

Flagg, a 29-year-old former minor league baseball player defeated the 43-years-young Jeff “Critter” Crittenden by a mere 13 inches to capture his first RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship in the nippy Nevada desert night.

Flagg spent the past 2 1/2 years honing his power in long-drive competitions.

“Thirteen inches,” Critter said. He held up one of his size-12 ½ Foot-Joys. “I lost by my shoe.”

Crittenden of Greensboro, N.C. had decided earlier this year that this would be his final season of long drive.

The Critter waited anxiously for an exact measurement to the inch that would break the tie and determine who would be the ultimate winner. 

In a sport where these guys hit the golf ball further than anyone else in the universe, it came down to just 13 inches to determine this year’s winner.

And crosswinds and crisp temperatures created a challenging environment, making it difficult for all players to hit the grid.

“I’m speechless,” second-time competitor Jeff Flag said, accepting his check and the World Drive Championship belt.

Critter became the Cinderella story of this year’s World Long Drive event. He won his quarterfinal match against Matt Hanger by one yard. Then the Critter upset former world champ Joe Miller, a high-ball hitter who struggled with the wind, by one yard.

Then Crittenden lost to the athletic former baseball player from Pelham, Alabama in the final, incredibly, unbelievably, by 13 inches.

They say golf is a game of inches.

This year’s long drive championship gives credence to that belief.

 

Thursday, May 1, 2014 - Is golf about to get a “hole” lot easier?

Take heed all you golf purists. There’s unrest underfoot.

It has been reported that nearly 100 courses in America are using a new, enlarged hole, one that’s been reported to be up to 15 inches.

Ben Hogan always said that putting isn’t golf.

He may be more right than he thought.

The idea of changing a 4 1/4 inch cup to a larger diameter (bowl?) would make Bobby Jones turn in his grave.

Come on people, give it a rest. Don’t commercialize the greatest game ever played by enlarging the hole. Golf is meant to be difficult - you never master the game.

Golf is based on hard work, strict rules, and player etiquette and integrity.

But the game is too hard, especially for young people, they say.

There are fewer golfers today than ten years ago; has anyone thought the crummy economy is to blame.

Or how about the kids who sit in the house all day playing video games and watching TV.

If attendance is off because the game is too hard, then go play pitch ‘n putt or mini golf.

Are we getting too soft as a nation?

Ben Hogan practiced hitting golf balls until his hands bled.

Today, we can’t even get our kids to do homework without holding their hands.

So what’s next – hitting a soccer ball with a baseball bat?

Want to make golf easier? Hit from the ladies tees; let’s see how many men strut up to the forwards tees with their buddies smirking and thinking how wimpy they are.

We love to drive for show, but we putt for dough.

But anyone can make a putt into a 15-inch hole.

60 percent of professional golf telecasts focus on putting. How about Phil Mickelson lipping in an 18 footer for his first Masters win.

Look at the number of seniors who still play from the whites, not wanting to lessen the game of golf.

Even Ted Bishop, the president of the Professional Golfers Association of America is backing the new holes, which will be about the size of a large pizza.

He said 'We’ve got to stop scaring people away from golf by telling them that there is only one way to play the game.'

It’s all about the money.

Interest in activities like golf, bowling, billiards and ping pong has always ebbed and flowed, but they didn’t make the balls or holes larger to attract more players.

Golfers take pride in their game, brag about their handicaps, and dream of making that putt to win the club championship.

Wise up TaylorMade and the PGA; make more money through programs like the First Tee, and promote more amateur contests and long drive championships. Design more executive golf courses with 15-inch holes if you feel the need.

But don’t cheapen up the game of kings to chase the almighty buck. -

EverythingWestport.com.

Visit our Golf Page for information about local courses and interesting stories of the greatest game ever played.

 

No Tiger, no tree and no practice Monday as dangerous storms shut down Augusta National.

Monday, April 7, 2014 Masters update. One of the most famous landmarks at Augusta National Golf Club had to be removed this spring due to severe damage suffered in a recent ice storm.

The Eisenhower Tree, named in honor of President Dwight Eisenhower, was located on the 17th hole and has played a protuberant role in many Masters Tournaments.

It was particularly annoying to the former president, who famously asked to have it removed, and was rebuffed by the club leadership.

Tiger Woods injured his knee beneath it in 2011.

"The loss of the Eisenhower Tree is difficult news to accept," club chairman Billy Payne said in a statement. "We obtained opinions from the best arborists available and, unfortunately, were advised that no recovery was possible.”

And speaking of difficult news, world number one, Tiger Woods, will be another loss this week as he has withdrawn after recently undergoing back surgery for a pinched nerve that has been hurting him for several months. 

And to add insult to injury, the first day of the Masters’ week was a short one, as dangerous weather and storms forced the closing of the course Bobby Jones built, first to spectators then to players

Sidebar: Phil Mickelson's first major championship win came at the 2004 Masters in one of the greatest back-nine, shot-making exhibitions by the last round leaders in the history of this tournament.

K. J. Choi, Ernie Els, and Phil Mickelson traded eagles, birdies and ‘all-the-way-from-downtown’ par saves that had the gallery’s roar echoing through the famous loblolly pines down to the thousands of spectators at Augusta.

In a tournament that saw the departure of Golf’s most beloved champion (Arnold Palmer), it also saw the emergence of a new one.

On the 18th hole, Lefty lipped in a 20-footer, besting Els by one shot for his first major win and his moment in history.

 

Model teed off at Playboy golfing stunt.

Model Liz Dickson agreed to have a photo taken of her lying on her stomach while a co-host of Playboy's radio show stood poised to hit a golf ball https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQWUJmzGolMBADU6xIfoEAunfjqAoEpKoGsCRrfXgptP_qR8pLtatop a tee that was inserted between her butt checks, only she was allegedly struck with the club.

The model who appeared at the Playboy Golf Finals at the Industry Hills Golf Club in Los Angles in March 2012 has filed a lawsuit against Playboy Enterprises after she was allegedly struck in the buttocks by a golfer who was trying to drive a ball off a tee that was wedged between her cheeks.

The highly-handicapped golfer who missed the shot was Playboy Morning Show radio host Kevin Klein, and is also named in Liz Dickson’s lawsuit. She is suing for battery and negligence and is seeking $500,000 plus punitive damages, according to TMZ.

The suit states Dickson agreed to lie “with her buttocks partially exposed” so Klein could hit off the tee in her butt. When he swung, Klein missed the tee and “struck plaintiff on the buttocks, causing her injuries and damages.”

Klein, using a SuperFast TaylorMade driver, hit “behind” the ball and gave Dickson a hHuge welt.

Click here to see video and photos!

Remember the good ol’ days when golf was the game of kings!

 

Swedish golfer Henrik Stenson wins Tour Championship, FedEx Cup.

Sunday, September 22, 2013 - Stenson birdied the 15th hole in the final round, beating back a late charge by 20-year-old Jordan Spieth. Followed by three pars from the sand, Stenson wound up with a three-shot victory over Spieth and Steve Stricker in the Tour Championship, locking up the biggest payoff in professional golf- the Fedex Cup’s $10 million.

 

FORE!!!

Wednesday, September 4, 2013 - https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR9x-csndwqx0sA_meC975iS7SB4Ze4cRps9KjLCV8qvFk78ODT6QIt seems President Obama isn’t the only one teeing off people with his golfing.

Christopher Kaszyk of Somerset, MA told police that he was struck in the chest by a wayward golf ball while operating his motorcycle on Route 24 northbound near the Montaup Country Club (Portsmouth, RI) sometime before 2:30 p.m., according to an article in EastBayRI.

Mr. Kaszyk’s father was operating another motorcycle alongside him, and the two drove to the first hole in an attempt to speak with golfers they believed were responsible, police said.

When the golfers denied hitting the ball onto Route 24, a verbal argument ensued, police said. Mr. Kaszyk showed police a small, red and purple mark on the right side of his chest. Two golfers admitted to losing a ball somewhere off the course, but denied they had intentionally hit one onto Route 24, according to police.

 

Dufner no duffer as the 2012 runner-up wins PGA Championship.

Sunday, August 11, 2013 - After suffering a meltdown in the 2012 PGA Championship, losing in a playoff to Keegan Bradley, the laid-back Jason Dufner took home the Wanamaker Trophy and his first major win after Jim Furyk, leading by one stroke after three rounds, faded in the final holes.

Furyk, the 2003 U.S. Open Champion, bogeyed 9, 17 and 18 to fall two shots behind Dufner in the final round.

Dufner set the course record at Oak Hill Country Club and became the 24th player to shoot a 63 in a major championship.

The Cleveland native said “My name will always be on this trophy, and nobody can take that away from me.”

2013 British Open Champion Phil Mickelson tied for 72nd, and world number one Tiger Woods finished tied for 40th.

 

Mickelson wins fifth major!

The southpaw is now number 2 in the world; Woods is still number 1.

Sunday, July 21, 2013 – Phil Mickelson wins 142nd Open Championship. Shooting “the best final round of my life” the southpaw came from five back to win by three, the only golfer under par for the tournament.

Last minute heroics was pure vintage Mickelson.

Lefty pulled off an improbably up and down on the par 3 13th, and then went on to hit the “best 3-wood shot in the history of golf” according to news commentators, on his way to birdieing four of his last six holes.

A six-time runner up in the U.S. Open, Phil Mickelson captured his first Claret Jug and fifth major title with a stunning final round at Muirfield, Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland.

The World Champion Golfer put his tournament at risk with a courageous 302 yard 3-wood on the par 5 17th, putting his ball on the green leading to birdie. 

Mickelson in the past has said, “The only difference between a great shot and a smart shot is a golfer without the guts to try for the great shot.”

 

 

Left: Mickelson shares a tearful moment with his family.  Right: longtime caddy Jim "Bones" Mackay breaks down when his golfer birdies the 18th, putting Lefty 3 under for the tournament. "He played the best round of golf I've ever seen him play," Mackay said.

 

Lightning struck twice in Scotland. The 43-year-old Mickelson, winning the Scottish Open last week, is now the first golfer in history winning both the Scottish and Open Championships in the same year.

Poulter made a charge but his momentum was undone when his 400+ yard drive on the 15th ended up in a bunker, and tournament leaders Johnson and Westwood faltered, accompanied by the distant crowd’s roar from each of Michelson’s birdies.

Woods couldn’t quite find his putting rhythm, and saw his winless streak in majors stretch to 17 with a tie for sixth.

Mickelson started the final round five strokes off the pace of leader Westwood, but ground it out and then stormed down the back nine in a fantastic 32 at a time when all of his rivals were stumbling in the tough, windy, and dry conditions when Muirfield showed its teeth.

Mickelson faced his defining moment on the par 3 13th when is iron tee shot landed 15 feet from the pin, and proceeded to roll of the green, down the false front and out onto the fairway,40 yards from where his tee shot landed.

He pitched up, made the eight-foot putt, and never looked back.

 

Above: Phil Mickelson stands alone in celebration on the 18th green after making birdie.

 

Tiger back on top!

Monday, March 25, 2013 - Tiger is back on top! Tiger Woods held off a hard-charging Ricky Fowler to win his eighth Arnold Palmer Invitational, tying the all-time record of eight same-tournament wins held by Sam Snead.

Inset: Champion golfer Tiger Woods is congratulated by golfing legend Arnold palmer on his eighth win at Bay Hill.

 

His third win this year, Woods finally reclaimed his number one ranking in the world, the first time since October 2010, and now leads the race for the FedEx Cup.

After a tornado warning postponed the fourth round, Woods on Monday continued his winning ways, taking his eighth “Arnold’s place” victory, his 77th tour win, and became the favorite to win his 15th major at the upcoming Masters.

Clearly, and fortunately, the only tornado to show up in Orlando was Woods, blowing away the field to win by two strokes over Justin Rose after Fowler faltered with a triple bogey at the 16th hole in the final round.

Above: Although he left a 60-foot plus putt on the lip for birdie on the 18th and final hole, Woods took a bite out of a few more records, tying Phil Michelson’s three eagles in one tournament, and tying Snead’s most same-tournament wins at eight, all of which came in the same venue, unlike Snead who won the same tournament (Greater Greensboro Open) but on different golf courses.

 

A New First Couple in Sports: Woods and Vonn.

 

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Photo credit/Tiger Woods facebook page

Tuesday, March 19, 2013 - It appears champion golfer Tiger Woods is getting his game back together (wins at Torrey Pines and Doral) along with his personal life as reports are confirmed on facebook that the winner of 14 majors and 76 PGA tournament events is dating alpine skiing sensation and four-time overall World Cup champion, Lindsey Vonn. The “less than ordinary couple” wants to lead just ordinary lives, but you know that ain’t goin’ to happen!  More.

 

Tiger takes a bite of Doral.

Sunday, March 10, 2013 - Tiger Woods shot seven birdies in the third round of the WGC Cadillac Championship to extend his lead over Graeme McDowell to four strokes.

Like in days of old, Woods was stuffing pins and fist-pumping 15-footers for par, taming Miami’s infamous Blue Monster.

In true Tiger fashion, Woods came off a disaster on the 17th hole to birdie the 18th, beating his personal best with 24 birdies and 74 putts in three rounds.

An impressive leader board will have to play for second place as Woods and McDowell show no sign of letting up.

Sunday morning leader board: Woods (-18); 2. McDowell (-14); T-3. Mickelson (-13); T-3. Stricker (-13); T-5. Thompson (-11); T-5. Garcia (-11); T-5. Schwartzel (-11); T-5. Bradley (-11).

Above: Woods sinks a seven-footer on the 10th hole for his 22nd birdie of the tournament.

 

Update: 03/11/2013 - Tiger wins Doral, his 17th career WGC win, four of them at the Cadillac sponsored championship.

This is Tiger’s 76th win, 12th from wire to wire. Woods is now just a six-pack short of record holder Sam Snead’s 84 wins.

A career-second best 27 birdies with 50 of 72 greens in regulation are certainly remarkable, but it was his putting proficiency from 10 feet and in (61 of 64) that raised competitors’ eyebrows.

With just two weeks to the Masters, Woods will be a favorite to win his 15th major.

 

A tale of two Phils.

Sunday, February 3, 2013 - Phil Mickelson held off a hard-charging Brandt Snedeker (left) to capture his 41st PGA tour win Sunday at the 2013 Waste Management Phoenix Open, but fell two shots shy of tying the long-standing record of lowest 72-hole tournament record ever recorded in the game of golf (254 set by Tommy Armour III in the 2003 Valero Texas Open.)

It was culmination of luckless misses for the 42-year-old PGA professional; he just missed a hole-in-one at the famously-rowdy 16th par 3 “coliseum” hole, missed a best-ever scoring round when a 25-foot putt on his last hole Thursday lipped out for a tournament-record-tying 11-under 60, and missed by one stroke tying the lowest score for the first two rounds.

Mickelson’s 28-under total tied Mark Calcavecchia for the event's all-time scoring record; Calcavecchia set the original mark in 2001.

Lefty also set the largest first round lead (four strokes), and tied with Calcavecchia, Gene Littler and Arnold Palmer for the most wins in Phoenix (three).

It was a wire-to-wire victory for the Arizona State University alumnus in the $6.2 million Waste Management Phoenix Open, netting the visor-festooned Californian $1.098 million.

 

Saturday, February 2, 2013 - A tale of two Phils. Winter weary golfers got some welcome news Saturday when that Pennsylvania groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, predicted spring is right around the corner.

But another Phil stole the hour with a brilliant display of how the greatest game ever played should be played as he built a commanding lead in the PGA’s Waste Management Phoenix Open, breaking or tying several records along the way, most notably lipping out a 25-foot putt on the last hole that would have given him a first round 59.

Only three professional male players have shot 59’s in the history of PGA tournament golf.

His Saturday round was highlighted by almost holing out his tee shot on the famous 16th 162-yard par 3 in what is known as "The Coliseum." Dubbed the loudest hole in golf, Mickelson left his ball just one foot from the cup, leaving 18,000 plus spectators in hysterics.

Phil Mickelson, a former Phoenix resident for 11 years and Arizona State alumnus, is one of the most popular and well-liked players on the tour. The lefty is on par to shooting the lowest 72-hole tournament total in the history of golf, and he needs to match the 64 he shot Saturday to do it.

Mickelson has a history of putts challenging the cup’s lip.

On the 18th hole in the final round of the 2004 Masters, Mickelson’s 25-foot putt caught the cup’s lip and spun in; giving the best golfer to never have won a major his first major win.

Above: Mickelson almost aced the famed 16th “Coliseum” hole on Saturday, leaving his on-line, nine-iron drive one foot short of the cup.

 

Titleist gets relief from a man-made obstruction!  PRO V1 golf ball turns 10.

 

Wednesday, March 16, 2011 - In golfing news, Titleist got a $150 million free lift when in March, 2010 it announced that it won a jury verdict in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware in its golf ball patent dispute with Callaway Golf Co.  Callaway asserted that previous generation Titleist Pro V1 golf balls had infringed on four patents originally owned by Spalding and subsequently purchased by Callaway Golf.  The jury agreed with Acushnet’s position that the patents in question are invalid.

Previously, a federal judge in Delaware declared that the four patents of Spalding-now-Callaway were infringed upon by Acushnet. 

 

Lucky for Titleist because the #1 ball in golf is truly the #1 ball in golf.

Acushnet reported that over the last 10 years since its introduction, the Titleist Pro V1 ball has built a 21.53 percent market share (Golf Datatech), has won 18 men's majors, has been golf's top selling ball for 118 consecutive months, and has sold over 75 million dozen. What makes the ball's lineage so amazing is that the Pro V1 is also the most expensive ball in golf!

Now you know the rest of the story.

 

 

t29.jpg

 

Fred Astaire gives a sweet dance performance accompanied by his picture-perfect golf swing in this amazing YouTube video. This is one amazing swing act that would challenge even the prowess of Tiger Woods! 

Click here to view video.

 

t29.jpg

Incredible hi-speed photography shows a golf ball hitting immovable steel at 150 mph! You gotta see this video. Click here to view it!

The event was filmed at 70,000 frames per second, and what you see in the film clip is happening in less than 1/1000th of a second.

Canadian long-drive champion Jason Zubak had a world ball speed record at 204 mph during competition, with a drive of 412 yards.

 

Justin James wins 2017 World Long Drive

 

 

2017 Volvik World Long Drive Open Champion

 

World Long Drive crowns four in Long Drive World Champions for 2016

 

Joe Miller wins Open Division with a whooping drive of 423 yards!

 

Click here for all the news about world long drive competitions.

 

Final World Long Drive Rankings of 2016

 

Joe Miller champion Ryan Steenberg

Left: Joe Miller, 2016 WLD Open Championship winner; right: Ryan Steenberg 2016 WLD Open Champ. Runner-up.

Tom Peppard Phillis Meti

Left: Tom Peppard, 2016 WLD Masters Championship winner; right: Phillis Meti

2016 WLD Women’s Championship winner.

 

Click here for great video of the fastest swing in golf.

 

 

Ryan Winther sets Guinness World Record golf ball speed at 217.1!

January 23, 2013 - 2012 RE/MAX World Champion Ryan Winther and 2012 RE/MAX runner-up Tim Burke competed head-to-head in an exhibition moderated by LDA founder Art Sellinger, in an attempt to break the current Guinness World Record of 211 mph.  

Both Winther and Burke bested the current record, but with a speed of 217.1 mph (as measured by Trackman) Winther claimed the record for himself.  Winther’s record is currently classified as unofficial while in the process of being validated by Guinness for official status.

Click here to view video.

 

So who is the long distance driving monster of all times?

According to website Patriot Golf, 6' 3", 230 lb. Scott Smith of Cincinnati, Ohio has the highest club head speed (164 MPH), highest ball speed recorded (222 MPH) and longest competitive drive 539 yards.

In a long drive 2002 Pinnacle Distance Challenge, Smith beat John Daly by 36 yards, Scot Smith Krank Golfwinning $100,000!

However, 2011 open champion Carl Wolter holds the RE/MAX world distance record of 459 yards in finals competition.

 

 

 

12thGreen

Local Golf Courses

Within a 30 minute drive of Central Village, Westport, MA

 

Acoaxet Club

152 Howland Rd
Westport Harbor, MA

(508) 636-4782

Private

http://www.acoaxet.com/

 

Acushnet River Valley Golf Course

685 Main Street 
Acushnet, MA

(508) 998-7777

Public
www.golfacushnet.com

 

Allendale Country Club

1047 Allen St

North Dartmouth, MA 

(508) 992-8682

Semi–Private Walk-ons welcome!

http://www.allendalecc.net/

 

Bay Club of Mattapoisett

1 A bay Club Drive

Mattapoisett, MA

(508) 758-7911

Private

http://www.bayclubmatt.com/

 

Country Club of New Bedford

585 Slocum Rd
North Dartmouth, MA 

(508) 993-3453

Private
www.ccnbgolfclub.com

 

Crestwood Country Club

90 Wheeler St
Rehoboth, MA

(508) 336-4418

Private

www.crestwoodcc.com

 

Fall River Country Club

4232 N Main St
Fall River, MA

(508) 678-9374

Private

www.fallrivercc.com

 

Firefly Golf Course – Closed temporarily.

320 Fall River Ave

Swansea, MA

(508) 336-6622

 

Green Valley Country Club

of Rhode Island

371 Union Street
Portsmouth, RI

(401) 847-9543

Semi-Private
www.greenvalleyccofri.com

 

Hawthorne Country Club – Closed!

970 Tucker Rd
North Dartmouth, MA

(508) 996-1766

Semi-Private
www.hawthornecountryclub.com

 

Hidden Hollow Country Club

30 Pierce Ln

Rehoboth, MA

(508)-252-9392     

Public

More information

 

Hillside Country Club

82 Hillside Ave
Rehoboth, MA

(508) 252-9761

Semi-Private

www.hillsidecountryclub.com/

 

Kittansett Club

11 Point Rd
Marion, MA

(508) 748-0192

Private

www.kittansett.org

 

Lakeville Country Club

44 Clear Pond Rd
Lakeville, MA 

(508) 947-6630

Public
www.lakevillecountryclub.com

 

LeBaron Hills Country Club

183 Rhode Island Road

Lakeville, MA

(508) 923-5700

Private

http://www.lebaronhills.com/

 

Marion Golf Course

10 S Dr
Marion, MA

(508) 748-0199

Public

http://www.mariongolfclub.com/

 

Middlebrook Country Club

149 Pleasant St
Rehoboth, MA 

(508) 252-9395

Public

More information

 

Montaup Country Club

500 Anthony Rd
Portsmouth, RI (401) 683-0955

Semi-Private
www.montaupcc.com

 

Newport National Golf Club

324 Mitchell’s Lane

Middletown, RI

401.848.9690

 

Poquoy Brook Golf Club

20 Leonard Street
Lakeville, MA

(508) 947-5261

Public
www.poquoybrook.com

 

Rehoboth Country Club

155 Perryville Road
Rehoboth, MA 

(508) 252-6259

Public
www.rehobothcc.com

 

Reservation Golf Club

Reservation Road

Mattapoisett, MA

(508) 758-3792

Private

http://www.reservationgolfclub.com

 

Rochester Golf Club

Rounseville Road Route 105
Rochester, MA

(508) 763-5155

Public

More information

 

Round Hill Golf Links 

S. Dartmouth, MA

(508) 992-4400 

Private

www.roundhillcommunity.com

 

Sakonnet Golf Club

79 Sakonnet Point Rd
Little Compton, RI

(401) 635-4706

Private

www.sakonnetgc.com

 

Swansea Country Club

299 Market St
Swansea, MA

(508) 379-9886

Public
www.swanseacountryclub.com

 

Sun Valley Golf Course

Summer Street

Rehoboth, MA

(508) 336-8686

Public

More information

 

The Back Nine

17 Heritage Hill Drive
Lakeville, MA 02347

(508) 947-9993 Clubhouse

(508) 947-9991 Golf Shop

Public
www.thebacknineclub.com/

 

Triggs Memorial Golf Course

1533 Chalkstone Ave,

Providence, RI

401.521.8460

 

Wampanoag Golf Course

168 Old Providence Road

Swansea, MA 02777

(508) 379-9832

9 hole regulation length course

Public

See them on facebook

 

Whaling City Golf Course

581 Hathaway Road
New Bedford, MA

(508) 996-9393

Public

http://www.johnsongolfmanagement.com/wc.html

 

Windmill Hill Golf Course

35 School Street

Warren, RI

401.245.1463

9 par 3 holes from 116 to 218 yards

 

 

Cutting the Corner – Sponsored by EverythingWestport.com

 

Information for the listed courses without a website, or additional courses, can be obtained at the following links:
MGA - Massachusetts
RIGA – Rhode Island


Inside the ropes:

Acoaxet (9 holes) and Sakonnet (18 holes) are very exclusive, very private, loonnng waiting lists, but great ocean vistas.


Allendale (this writer’s pick) and the Country Club of New Bedford (best greens) are very well maintained with available memberships. Slightly pricey.

Acushnet River Valley (best city-run) is a good track, fairly new, lots of fun with traditional New England layout and 6 holes of links-style golf.


Whaling City (18 holes – great layout) is a little rough around the edges. Inexpensive golf for the price conscious golfer.

 

Montaup is a great value for the money (this writer’s second pick.)

 

Swansea Country Club is very close to Montaup in price and venue (this writer’s third pick.)

 

Want to list your golf course? Got some information to share for this page? Please email us at:

EverythingWestport@hotmail.com.

 

If you are from the local area, please feel free to email us any golfing event you would like to submit for our event’s calendar.

 

Practice/Learning Facilities

 

Best outdoor practice facility:


Caddy Shack
900 State Road (Route 6)
N. Dartmouth, MA 02747
67 practice tees

(508) 991-7976

View photos of the Caddy Shack

 

Best indoor practice facility:

(Will close May 15th, 2017 after 12 years of operation!)

Oceans 18 - Black lite mini golf

500 King’s Highway,

New Bedford, MA
508.985.1966

http://www.oceans-18.com 

Check out their state-of-the-art golf simulator.

 

Additional practice facilities

 

Lazy a Driving Range

24 practice tees
106 1/2 Dr Braley Rd
East Freetown, MA 02717
(508) 763-2320
8 miles from center of North Dartmouth.

 

Rebound LLC

358 G A R Hwy
Swansea, MA 02777-4503
(508) 675-8767
6-8 Heated Stalls

11 miles from center of North Dartmouth.

 

Sherwood Golf Inc

1350 Fall River Ave
Seekonk, MA 02771-5927
(508) 336-3323
18 miles from center of North Dartmouth.

 

Lakeville Golf Practice Range

34 practice tees
49 Cross St
Lakeville, MA 02347-1204
(508) 947-1865
18 miles from center of North Dartmouth.

 

Seekonk Driving Range

140 practice tees
692 Fall River Ave
Seekonk, MA 02771-5632
(508) 336-8074
19 miles from center of North Dartmouth.

 

Deer Hollow Golf Practice Center

26 practice tees
1221 Bedford St
Bridgewater, MA 02324-3045
(508) 697-4468
22 miles from center of North Dartmouth.

 

Golf Learning Ctr/New England

150 practice tees
19 Leonard St
Norton, MA 02766-2410
(508) 285-4500
www.golflearningcenter.com
25 miles from center of North Dartmouth.

 

Golf Shots Range and learning Center

123 Sandwich Road

Wareham, MA

(508) 295-8773

 

Meadowbrook Driving Range

357 Main Street

Acushnet, MA

(508) 995-0000

 

Retail Golf Equipment & Supplies

 

Golfer’s Warehouse - Map it
60 Freeway Drive
Cranston, RI 02920
(401) 467-8740

www.golferswarehouse.com

 

Golfer’s Warehouse - Map it
2 Campanelli Drive
Braintree, MA 02185
(781) 848-9777

www.golferswarehouse.com          

 

Dick’s Sporting Goods - Get map

Get Directions

475 State Road
Dartmouth, MA 02747 
(508) 999-1617

www.dickssportinggoods.com

 

Joe & Leigh's Discount Golf Pro Shop

Get Directions

68 Prospect
Easton, MA 02334
(508) 238-2320

Visit their web site!

 

Golf Trivia

 

Think YOU know golf trivia?

Try this quiz on for size!    Click on the graphic below.

 

t23.jpg

 

What’s the Origin of Mulligan”?

 

The bottom line is that we don't know. Some mysteries may never be solved. The term "mulligan" in golf is a second shot allowed by an opponent and not counted on the scorecard. Just as an aside, note that Mulligan is also a general "nickname" or stereotype for an Irishman, an underworld term for policeman (obviously dating back to when so many police were Irish), and a type of stew. Presumably all these relate to the surname Mulligan, of Irish origin. The term mulligan in golf dates from the 1940s, and the origin is uncertain. By 1949, it had made its way into P. Cummings' Dictionary of Sports, so must have been fairly common before that. One theory about the origin cites a certain individual named Mulligan who blew so many drives that the club allowed him blah blah blah. Those are presumably the type of origin stories that you hear a particular golf club claim for their own. Another theory ties to the period when Irish-Americans were joining fancy country clubs and were derided as incompetent golfers. That would make the term basically an ethnic slur that caught on, like "Indian summer" or "Dutch treat."

Source:  Straight Dope Science Advisory Board

 

It’s all a matter of distance!

 

The earliest golf balls were a thin leather bag stuffed with feathers (feathery); it was not a distance ball, falling short of 200 yards. The gutta-percha ball (whitish rubber derived from the coagulated milky latex of the gutta-percha tree) was adopted in 1848, reached an upper limit distance of 225 yards. The rubber ball of 1899 helped golfers achieve greater distance. A 430 yard drive was made by Craig Wood in the British Open at St. Andrews in 1933. George Gayer, American pro made a 426 yard drive in Tucson, Arizona in 1955. The greatest recorded carry of a golf ball is 458 yards, by America's Jack Hamm, at Highlands Ranch, Colorado, USA, on July 20, 1993. Today, routine tee shots of 300 yards and more are not unusual for some professionals with their high tech drivers and balls.

 

But, in 1836 Samuel Messieux whacked a feathery 361 yards at St. Andrews – still the longest recorded drive with such a ball! Reports say the shot was downwind on frozen ground.

 

 

What’s the Origin of “Fore”?

 

This is another term whose exact origin can't be stated. "Fore" is another word for "ahead" (think of a ship's fore and aft). Yelling "fore" is simply a shorter way to yell "watch out ahead" (or "watch out before"). It allows golfers to be forewarned, in other words. The British Golf Museum cites an 1881 reference to "fore" in a golf book, establishing that the term was already in use at that early date (the USGA suggests the term may have been in use as early as the 1700s). The museum also surmises that the term evolved from "forecaddie." A forecaddie is a person who accompanies a group around the golf course, often going forward to be in a position to pinpoint the locations of the groups' shots. If a member of the group hit an errant shot, the thinking goes, they may have alerted the forecaddie by yelling out the term. It was eventually shorted to just "fore." A popular theory is that the term has a military origin. In warfare of the 17th and 18th century (a time period when golf was really taking hold in Britain), infantry advanced in formation while artillery batteries fired from behind, over their heads. An artilleryman about to fire would yell "beware before," alerting nearby infantrymen to drop to the ground to avoid the shells screaming overhead. So when golfers misfired and send their missiles - golf balls - screaming off target, "beware before" became shortened to "fore."

 

Sources: British Golf Museum, USGA Library, Brent Kelley

 

Where did the word “golf” come from?

 

The earliest reference to golf as a game was in Scotland around 1457. Did the word "golf" originate as an acronym for "gentlemen only, ladies forbidden"? That's a common old wives' tale. Like most modern words, the word "golf" derives from older languages and dialects. In this case, the languages in question are medieval Dutch and old Scots. Here's what the USGA Museum says about the issue: "While many Scots firmly maintain that golf evolved from a family of stick-and-ball games widely practiced throughout the British Isles during the Middle Ages, considerable evidence suggests that the game derived from stick-and-ball games that were played in France, Germany and the Low Countries."

 

The medieval Dutch word "kolf" or "kolve" meant "club." It is believed that word passed to the Scots, whose old Scots dialect transformed the word into "golve," "gowl" or "gouf."  By the 16th Century, the word "golf" had emerged.

 

Sources: British Golf Museum, USGA Library, Brent Kelley

 

Do you know the old club names?


 

Today

 

Yesterday

Woods

No.1

 

Driver

 

No.2

 

Brassie

 

No.3

 

Spoon

 

No.4

 

Baffy/Cleek

Irons

No.1

 

Driving iron/Cleek

 

No.2

 

Midiron

 

No.3

 

Mid mashie

 

No.4

 

Mashie iron

 

No.5

 

Mashie

 

No.6

 

Spade mashie

 

No.7

 

Mashie niblick

 

No.8

 

Pitching niblick/Lofter

 

No.9

 

Niblick

 

Wedge

 

Wedge/Sand wedge

 

Read more golf trivia now.

 

 

 

 

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